The Engineering of Easy: UniCam® Connectors

UniCam® Connectors

For years, the installation of cable networks' field connectors was a fairly time-consuming process. To ensure the seamless flow of data-forming light, each hair-thin strand of glass fibre had to be glued into a connector. Technicians had to tote along portable ovens to heat-cure the special epoxy.

After waiting for the connector to finish curing, the technician would clean and polish the components by hand to ensure the pristine surface required for optical transmission.

On average, it took six to eight minutes to terminate a single connector. Results varied widely, based on the skill and experience of the technician. As recently as the mid-1990s, that’s just how it was.

But as carriers everywhere began to embrace the fast transmission capabilities of optical fibre networks, Corning engineers knew they had to find a better way.

Redefining Home Connectivity

Redefining Home Connectivity

Answering the Customer’s Call

It may not seem like it now, but it wasn’t that long ago that fibre to the home (FTTH) was in its infancy. There were no mass deployments, no customised products, and no recommended or common installation procedures. While Corning had been preparing for FTTH deployments for many years, we hadn’t yet had the opportunity to work with a customer and realize the vision of taking optical fibre all the way to the end customer. That changed when the first major carrier announced its plans to deploy FTTH technology.

With this announcement, we got to work, hand-in-hand with our customer. Our goal was to merge our expertise in fibre optics with the customer’s need for a reliable, future-ready product that could be deployed rapidly to allow for large-scale FTTH deployments. The result: The FlexNAP™ system, which uses standard optical fibre cables with network access points pre-installed at customer-specified locations along the length of the cable. With this product, we were able to bring the life-enhancing benefits of optical fibre to the customer, with deployments several times faster than traditional field installations.

Together with our customer, we developed a product that revolutionised FTTH delivery and is still an essential element in many FTTH deployments today.

Training Programmes

Training Programmes

Whether you are new to the industry, a veteran installer, a network manager or a designer, See the Light seminars offer something for everyone. Our training curriculum includes hands-on seminars, intensive instructional courses and webinars.

Whether you are new to the industry, a veteran installer, a network manager or a designer, See the Light seminars offer something for everyone. Our training curriculum includes hands-on seminars, intensive instructional courses and webinars.